Level1 WPC0301 wireless cannot find any network (ralink chip - PC-BSD Forums

bosso · #1 02-17-2009, 08:26 AM

Topic: Level1 WPC0301 wireless cannot find any network (ralink chipset)
OS: PCBSD 7.0.2
Network card: Level1 WPC0301 v4, PCMCIA 54Mbps (detected as Ralink 2561S)
Computer: IBM thinkpad T21 (700MHz P3 512Mb RAM)

Hi all!

I'm using PCBSD on an old laptop as a inet browser, but have no luck in getting the wireless network running. The network card is detected by the OS as ral0, but it does not find any network to connect to. If I put the wlan card in my windows laptop it works fine, and can detect many networks in my hood.
I've tried scanning for network both using gui and commandline, but same result.

I have put if_ral_load="YES" in my loader.conf file.
(but it seems to be loaded even without the addition in loader.conf)

ifconfig ral0 gives "no carrier"

dmesg gives "could not read from BBP" a couple of times ending with a timeout.

Previously I tried a D-link DWL630 card (also ralink chipset 2561 if I remember correct),
Same symtom with that one, but got
"Expecting link target got 0x00" in dmesg and it is able to completely hang up the PC occationally.

What's going on?

btw, I've done a fresh reinstall of the system recently.

Thankful for any hints or ideas.

/Bosso

GigiLaTrottola · #2 02-18-2009, 07:08 AM

Hi,
this is my personal suggestion. As root you should run:

Code:

ifconfig ral0 up scan

You will get a list of available wireless networks. If you need you could add a default router typing:

Code:

route add default IPAddressOfYourRouter

Copy the ssid of the network listed with scan and then:

Code:

ifconfig ral0 inet IPAddress netmask 255.255.255.0 ssid NetworkName

I am assuming you have not an encrypted connection. Otherwise you can read further and specific information typing "man ral".

Bye,
Daniele

bosso · #3 02-19-2009, 03:20 PM

I have done the things you suggest, but the scan from commandline do not result in any wireless networks, even if I am only a foot from my router. I can find many networks using the card in a windows laptop.

looking in dmesg while trying to scan gives same result as scanning in gui.

Just to get it up and running I use non encrypted wireless network.

Adding the router manualy as you describe don't work either.

My guess is that it is something in the driver that is not compatible with the network card, and I need to tweak the driver somehow, but have no idea how...

GigiLaTrottola · #4 02-24-2009, 06:50 AM

Hi,
I am sorry if I am replying a little late but I had a lot of work to do. Ok, this is my second suggestion. Try

Code:

pciconf -lv

You should get a detailed list of you hadware pci devices included your network card. Search if you can, more informations about your card because maybe the ath0 drivers does not work for you. Could you post the result of

Code:

netstat -rl

Maybe we could understand something more. The last thing coming in my mind is: have you got a file named resolv.conf inside your /etc/ folder? This file should specify the ip address of your dns server, so, I do not think this is strictly related to your problem, but I am only suggesting everything that it is coming in my mind. Inside this file you should have a line like this:

Code:

nameserver ipOfYourRouter

If this file does not exist could be created.
Bye,
Daniele

bosso · #5 02-27-2009, 02:10 PM

No worries. Been busy myself with other stuff lately.

pciconf -lv
results in:

Code:

ral0@pci0:5:0:0:   class 0x028000 card=0x25611814 chip=0x03011814 rev=0x00 hdr=0x00
vendor = 'Ralink Technology, Corp'
device = 'RT2561/RT61 802.11g PCI'
class = network

the windows drivers shipped are ral drivers RT61 and RT2561 drivers.
I have tried to make NDIS drivers out of them, but I am not really sure I did it right. Seems like the card is srill detected as ral by kernel, and not using the ndis driver.

netstat -rl
results:

Code:

Internet:
Destination   Gateway      Flags   Refs   Use   Mtu    Netif Expire
localhost     localhost    UH      0       20   16384  lo0

my resolv.conf:

Code:

search lan
nameserver 192.168.1.254

nameserver ip = my router/wlan gateway

I have searhed info about my wlan card, and the revision I have (v4) shall be ralink chipset. Shall I try loading atheros drivers?

I am out of ideas.

GigiLaTrottola · #6 03-03-2009, 05:44 PM

Originally Posted by bosso

No worries. Been busy myself with other stuff lately.

pciconf -lv
results in:

Code:

ral0@pci0:5:0:0:   class 0x028000 card=0x25611814 chip=0x03011814 rev=0x00 hdr=0x00
vendor = 'Ralink Technology, Corp'
device = 'RT2561/RT61 802.11g PCI'
class = network

the windows drivers shipped are ral drivers RT61 and RT2561 drivers.
I have tried to make NDIS drivers out of them, but I am not really sure I did it right. Seems like the card is srill detected as ral by kernel, and not using the ndis driver.

I think that if you want to load the ndis driver instead of the ral, you should modify /etc/loader.conf and set if_ndis_load="YES" instead of if_ral_load="YES". Then you should copy the *.ko module created by ndis inside /boot/kernel

Originally Posted by bosso

netstat -rl
results:

Code:

Internet:
Destination   Gateway      Flags   Refs   Use   Mtu    Netif Expire
localhost     localhost    UH      0       20   16384  lo0

This is obvious because you cannot add the router so you can list only your loopback interface

Originally Posted by bosso

I have searhed info about my wlan card, and the revision I have (v4) shall be ralink chipset. Shall I try loading atheros drivers?

I am out of ideas.

You could give a try also to ath drivers... the worst thing could happen is that your card is not recognized. I have not other ideas because I am not the most experienced user inside this forum about this topic. I had a lot of pain making my wireless card working with ndisgen two years ago, but then I found the solution making experiments. You could also try sysinstall. Open a terminal and type su, then sysinstall, Configure -> Networking -> configure additional networking interface.

Bye,
Daniele

bosso · #7 04-03-2009, 12:03 PM

I made a serious attemt with the NDIS drivers, and I think I got it right this time. Ended up with the system hanging up totally when inserting the wlan card, or booting with wlan card in machine.

I had a go trying the sysinstall feature. Thanks for pointing it out for me, didn't know of it before. But it did not lead me closer to a solution.

Well, it seems like I have two options. Either I bet some money on a more expensive wlan adapter and pray to god that it will be supported, or I switch to some linux flavour, which I know support my wlan cards, but has drawbacks in the ACPI implementation. Cheapest is to try linux (xubuntu) so I'll try that.

Exept my troubles with wlan, PCBSD has been a great experience.
Now when flash is included, it works really well even on my old hardware.

/Kalle

GigiLaTrottola · #8 04-05-2009, 07:16 PM

Hi,
this is our thread :-D. I remember that somewhere inside the freebsd handbook there should be the page with the supported hardware. Otherwise you could choose among one of the supported wireless chipset, and buy a wireless card with that chipset. The last idea is searching inside the networking section of this forum for a "known to work" card.

Excuse me if I said something stupid.

Bye,
Daniele

bosso · #9 04-09-2009, 06:24 AM

I checked the freeBSD supported wlan list before I bought this level1 card, so it should be supported, but not in my case. I don't have a clue what's wrong.
I found an old 11mbps wlan card to try with.
First attemt gave same symtom, but this one is another chipset (wi) so maybe my problem lies elsewhere than the wlan card and it's drivers.

You have said nothing stupid. Thanks for trying and for posting ideas!

I am such a novice at posix OS:es so I don't mind changing to another OS as long as it makes my PC work as a inet-browser.
Maybe I'll regret swithing OS as I learn and crawl back to BSD...